ASTLEY, CHAT, LITTLE WOOLDEN AND ASSOCIATED MOSSES
Pete Hines said
Wed Oct 6 3:36 PM, 2021
Little Woolden Moss (west) 10.29-14.35
Hen Harrier 1 female (record shot) Peregrine 2 Sparrowhawk 2 Buzzard 9 Golden Plover 8 together over plus another heard earlier Snipe 3 Whooper Swan 2 over Water Rail 1 heard Tree Sparrow 1 over Swallow 77 over
Pink-footed Goose 1376 over
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Wednesday 6th of October 2021 03:39:14 PM
346 Pink Footed Geese and 2 Whooper Swans feeding in first stubble field on the left down 12 Yards Road from Astley Road this afternoon (with Dave Broome)
Dave Steel said
Tue Oct 5 8:17 PM, 2021
Irlam Moss
1 Stonechat...Male
4 Snipe
17 Linnet
8 Skylark
Chat Moss
38 Greylag Geese
2 Whooper Swan
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
1 Hen Harrier...Ringtail chased west by Carrion Crow...both a blessing and a curse as their alarms prove they are not happy...a none local raptor about...great as this draws my attention BUT they then chase it from further view as yesterday...a case of Thanks but No Thanks...
1 Little Egret...flew West @ 1130
3 Swallow
1 peregrine....Female
1 Peregrine...Male
23 Meadow Pipit
10 Grey Partridge
1 Snipe
5 Whooper Swan...flew East @
JOHN TYMON said
Tue Oct 5 11:44 AM, 2021
1 Ring tail Hen Harrier over me heading high east onto little wooldon moss area about 9.30 this morning .
Dave Steel said
Tue Oct 5 6:54 AM, 2021
041021 am
Little Woolden Moss
65 Meadow Pipit
220 Skylark
37 Linnet
1 Hen Harrier...Ringtail chased south by Carrion Crow @0950
2 Lesser Redpoll
1 Grey Wagtail
2 Yellowhammer
1 Swallow
Chat Moss
2 Swallow
1 Stonechat...Male
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
50 Linnet
4 Snipe
1 Chiffchaff.
Dave Steel said
Tue Oct 5 6:49 AM, 2021
031021 am
Chat Moss
3 Snipe
21 Meadow Pipit
24 Teal
3 Chiffchaff
3 Shoveler
18 Skylark.
Dave Steel said
Mon Oct 4 8:32 AM, 2021
021021 Midday...brief visit
Irlam Moss
62 Lapwing
5 Snipe
28 Meadow Pipit
10 Skylark
90 Goldfinch
300 Starling
5 Yellowhammer.
Michael Hood said
Sun Oct 3 6:23 PM, 2021
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR 3:30-5:00 - very windy (which probably kept the small birds down)
1 Peregrine - probably male (but not certain) - it almost looked like it was thinking of hovering by flying into the wind
2 Kestrels
1 (or 2) Marsh Harriers - female or juvenile (definitely not adult male) - might have been same bird but difficult to tell with light in the opposite direction for each sighting
2 Buzzards
10 Teal
1 Whooper Swan - seen flying towards west end, then seen in the west end pools but took off and flew east & out of sight - may have landed somewhere towards the east end
4 Swallows (2 + 2)
In the fields beyond the west end - many, many gulls, mostly black-headed, some herring, 5 or 6 lesser black-backed (they wouldn't keep still)
Near the green buildings on Astley Rd - 2 Swallows, 6 House Martins
-- Edited by Michael Hood on Sunday 3rd of October 2021 06:27:25 PM
Dave Steel said
Sun Oct 3 8:27 AM, 2021
011021 am
Irlam Moss
70 Goldfinch
240 Black-Headed Gull
92 Lapwing
8 Cormorant Flying Over @ 0946
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
36 Meadow Pipit
26 Skylark
2 Lesser Redpoll
1 Peregrine...Male
2 Chiffchaff
6 Snipe
Dave Steel said
Fri Oct 1 8:54 AM, 2021
300921 am
Barton Moss...the 'Port' Salford Warehouse Plot...once the Greenbelt is ceded to the Mighty Developers...(coming soon within PfE)
2 Swallow
12 Jackdaw
7 Snipe
36 Skylark
48 Meadow pipit
1 Stonechat
8 Mistle Thrush.
Dave Steel said
Thu Sep 30 7:38 PM, 2021
290921 am
Chat Moss
8 Lesser Redpoll
58 Skylark
6 Reed Bunting
27 Meadow Pipit
Irlam Moss
23 Skylark
5 Snipe
52 Stock Dove.
Dave Steel said
Wed Sep 29 6:49 AM, 2021
280921 am
Cadishead Moss...The field holding these birds was being ploughed...this Farmer until recent years used to plough in the Spring which meant that the Farmland birds had Stubble to feed within during the winter and in Spring the Lapwing (up to 20 pair) had the perfect nesting area...once more I find the continued onslaught upon our Farmland birds by such changes in the land use to Autumn sowing is driving the birds ever closer to extinction...even the ditches which only two weeks ago were full of vegetation for cover and food have been shaved to an inch height...what hope is there in this so called enlightened age of the need for us to change our approach to the planet and its wildlife????...IF this is for the production of 'Cheap' Food then we must remember that NOTHING is cheap for there is ALWAYS a cost somewhere else...and on farmland its the birds...
300 Starling
75 Skylark
18 Pied Wagtail
13 Pheasant
1 Nuthatch
3 Buzzard
1 Merlin
Irlam Moss
7 Snipe
6 Yellowhammer
45 House Sparrow
150 Starling
Dave Steel said
Tue Sep 28 6:50 AM, 2021
270921 am
Chat Moss
54 Linnet
4 Great Black-Backed Gull
21 Pied Wagtail
52 Lapwing
2 Chiffchaff
13 Collared Dove
2 Snipe
48 Mallard
4 Lesser Redpoll
6 Shoveler
90 Teal
5 House Martin.
Irlam Moss
16 Pied Wagtail
1 Swallow
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Sep 27 2:28 PM, 2021
Little Woolden Moss NR west this early afternoon:
700 Starling and 1300 Black-headed Gull feeding on western fields
1 Chiffchaff
8 Swallow west
2 House Martin west
Dave Steel said
Sun Sep 26 8:19 AM, 2021
250921 midday.....
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR west...after Woolston Eyes...
and to underline what Dave Steel says....these mosses are indeed dominated by Woodpigeon and Corvid, with a very serious decline in small farmland birds.
Steven Nelson said
Sat Sep 25 1:06 PM, 2021
Little Woolden Moss NR
All 4 Whooper Swans still present on eastern pools as I left at 12.30pm.
Other sightings: 18 Swallow 3 House Martin 4 Chiffchaff- 3 giving bursts of song 1 Snipe 1 Lapwing 70+ Meadow Pipit over 4 Skylark c.120 Black-headed Gull 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 Buzzard 80+ Goldfinch
Once more the Moss tells the story of the LACK of Farmland birds with a number of fields holding but Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon...it really is becoming dire away from the 'hot spot' birdwatching sites....and the odd areas where a farmer has a more bird friendly approach to his farming...
Dave Steel said
Fri Sep 24 8:37 AM, 2021
230921 am including a Grey Partridge Count on Irlam Moss
3 Grey Partridge...irony is this farmer for second year is not leaving any stubble...and as we know one of the main reasons our Farmland Birds are in decline is....NO STUBBLE!
1 Song Thrush
8 Linnet
22 Lapwing
1 Swallow
2 Yellowhammer
40 Starling
Chat Moss
10 Grey Partridge
6 Linnet
12 Pied Wagtail
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
3 Chiffchaff
1 Marsh Harrier...Juvenile.
Dave Steel said
Thu Sep 23 8:31 AM, 2021
22921 am
Chat Moss
36 Linnet
38 Pied Wagtail
1 Sparrowhawk
10 Grey Partridge
5 Swallow
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
5 Snipe
18 Meadow Pipit
1 Marsh Harrier...female
Little Woolden Moss
120 Skylark
28 Jackdaw
38 Mistle Thrush
3 Golden Plover.
-- Edited by Dave Steel on Thursday 23rd of September 2021 08:32:44 AM
little else noted due to a Big Game Hunter on the Farmland to north of the reserve taking pots shots at any passing Woodpigeon...it seems as if a new regime of more regular gun blasters have taken over for in the past the shooting has been mainly confined to harvest time...all the cereal crops alread
Dave Steel said
Tue Sep 21 6:39 AM, 2021
200921 am
Irlam Moss
4 Yellowhammer
80 Starling
5 Snipe
8 Skylark
Cadishead Moss
7 Grey Partridge
3 Snipe
12 Stock Dove
45 Skylark
4 Swallow
Chat Moss
21 Swallow
22 Meadow Pipit
26 Pied Wagtail
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
6 Swallow
3 Raven
1 Sparrowhawk...Female
60 Teal
1 Marsh Harrier...Juvenile.
Dave Steel said
Tue Sep 21 6:33 AM, 2021
180921 midday LWM LWT NR west
33 Pied Wagtail
7 Linnet
2 Peregrine
5 Buzzard
2 Wheatear
1 Raven
1 Marsh Harrier...juvenile.
Dave Steel said
Mon Sep 20 9:03 AM, 2021
190921 am
Chat Moss
1 Hobby being chased by Carrion Crows...the Hobby eventually moved South
6 Snipe
2 Chiffchaff
32 Teal
3 Swallow
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR East
23 Meadow Pipit
3 Chiffchaff
7 Snipe
1 Ringed Plover flew over @ 1158
2 Raven
8 Swallow
1 Peregrine
30 Teal.
Dave Stewart said
Sun Sep 19 6:33 PM, 2021
Irlam Moss
10 Swallow above Astley Road
1 Kestrel
11 Mistle Thrush in the newly ploughed Field 17
Little woolden Moss LWTNR & surrounding farmland circular walk
2 Heron
1 Kestrel
70 Teal landed on Middle & West Pools
7 Snipe
110 Black Headed Gull
17 Meadow Pipit
7 Pied Wagtail
1 Wheatear West Pool
2 Chiffchaff
10 Buzzard
c90 Carrion Crow
c800 Woodpigeon
Dave Steel said
Sun Sep 19 8:41 AM, 2021
180921 midday west
33 Pied Wagtail
7 Linnet
2 Peregrine
5 Buzzard
2 Wheatear
1 Raven
1 Marsh Harrier...juvenile.
Dave Stewart said
Sat Sep 18 5:59 PM, 2021
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR East
1 female Peregrine
1 juvenile Kestrel
3 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Warbler
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Pied Wagtail
1 White Wagtail
5 Linnet
15 Meadow Pipit
5 Buzzard
.....and a catch up with Steven Nelson
Dave Steel said
Sat Sep 18 4:57 PM, 2021
170921 am...with one of my old WEA Classes
Little Woolden Moss
14 Meadow Pipit
Cadishead Moss
1 Grey wagtail
7 Pied wagtail
16 Swallow
1 Sparrowhawk...Male
3 Chiffchaff
220 Starling.
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
1 Wheatear
18 Swallow
110 teal
John Williams said
Fri Sep 17 9:29 PM, 2021
Little Woolden Moss 15.00-18.30
The only birds seen on any of the pools were 8 Mallard. With not even a single Pied Wagtail being seen around any wet areas of the moss.
Elsewhere on the reserve were 2 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels (A male was seen to take a dragonfly, then eat it whilst resting on the ground) and
1 Sparrowhawk.
Amongst a roving flock of Long tailed and Blue Tits were around 3 Chiffchaffs and a stunning bright lemon coloured Willow Warbler.
Dave Steel said
Fri Sep 17 8:28 AM, 2021
160921 am
Irlam Moss
4 Chiffchaff
5 Reed Bunting
4 Yellowhammer
8 Snipe
9 Rook
1 Sparrowhawk male scattering a flock of Goldfinch
2 Grey Partridge
16 Skylark
15 Meadow Pipit
Chat Moss
42 Swallow moving south
29 Meadow Pipit moving south
19 Teal
5 Chiffchaff
20 House Martin attacking a Buzzard as they flew south very high
1 Sand Martin resting on wires
130 Swallow resting on wires
50 House Martin resting on wires
Dave Steel said
Fri Sep 17 8:20 AM, 2021
150921 am
Chat Moss
23 Swallow
14 House Martin
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
1 Peregrine
1 Hobby
2 Ringed Plover
46 Meadow Pipit
11 Swallow.
1 Wheatear.
Dave Stewart said
Thu Sep 16 3:01 PM, 2021
Little Woolden Moss West early afternoon.
2 Hobby (1 immature 1 juvenile)
1 juvenile female Peregrine
7 Buzzard
11 Swallow
5 Reed Bunting
10 Meadow Pipit
1 juvenile Kestrel
-- Edited by Dave Stewart on Thursday 16th of September 2021 03:51:54 PM
Dave Steel said
Thu Sep 16 6:51 AM, 2021
150921 am
Chat Moss
23 Swallow
14 House Martin
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
1 Peregrine
1 Hobby
2 Ringed Plover
46 Meadow Pipit
11 Swallow.
Lez Fairclough said
Tue Sep 14 10:20 PM, 2021
JOHN TYMON wrote:
Lez Fairclough wrote:
Afternoon walk from Moss Lane, Glazebury to Little Woolden Moss N R & back.
Moss Side Farm area - C.30 juvenile Greenfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker on top of a pine tree & C. 10 Mistle Thrush,
Tree Sparrow, Swallow & House Martin.
On the nature reserve Kestrel, Hobby, Female Marsh Harrier, Buzzard being mobbed by 6 Carrion Crow, Linnet, Goldfinch,
Willow Warbler, Long-Tailed Tit, Pied Wagtail, 3 Grey Partridge in potato field bordering the reserve & a peculiar looking Carrion Crow with pied upper wings.
No pics as I got caught in a shower last week & a 'system zoom error' message is all that I'm getting from the camera now.
Does anybody know of a reasonable Panasonic Lumix repair technician in the Wigan & Leigh area?
Most Bridge cameras once they get water ingress the cost of repair outstrips the cost of replacement,and most repair company's will not guarantee repair were it has water damage
Repairs normally have o be sent away as only certain companies have the chance to get the correct parts from the manufacturer .
Many thanks for the reply John, I have had two different quotes now both similar in price & yes in the hundreds so
I'm considering my options.
Cheers Lez.
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Tuesday 14th of September 2021 06:54:57 AM
JOHN TYMON said
Tue Sep 14 6:53 AM, 2021
Lez Fairclough wrote:
Afternoon walk from Moss Lane, Glazebury to Little Woolden Moss N R & back.
Moss Side Farm area - C.30 juvenile Greenfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker on top of a pine tree & C. 10 Mistle Thrush,
Tree Sparrow, Swallow & House Martin.
On the nature reserve Kestrel, Hobby, Female Marsh Harrier, Buzzard being mobbed by 6 Carrion Crow, Linnet, Goldfinch,
Willow Warbler, Long-Tailed Tit, Pied Wagtail, 3 Grey Partridge in potato field bordering the reserve & a peculiar looking Carrion Crow with pied upper wings.
No pics as I got caught in a shower last week & a 'system zoom error' message is all that I'm getting from the camera now.
Does anybody know of a reasonable Panasonic Lumix repair technician in the Wigan & Leigh area?
Most Bridge cameras once they get water ingress the cost of repair outstrips the cost of replacement,and most repair company's will not guarantee repair were it has water damage
Repairs normally have o be sent away as only certain companies have the chance to get the correct parts from the manufacturer .
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Tuesday 14th of September 2021 06:54:57 AM
Lez Fairclough said
Mon Sep 13 8:47 PM, 2021
Afternoon walk from Moss Lane, Glazebury to Little Woolden Moss N R & back.
Moss Side Farm area - C.30 juvenile Greenfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker on top of a pine tree & C. 10 Mistle Thrush,
Tree Sparrow, Swallow & House Martin.
On the nature reserve Kestrel, Hobby, Female Marsh Harrier, Buzzard being mobbed by 6 Carrion Crow, Linnet, Goldfinch,
Willow Warbler, Long-Tailed Tit, Pied Wagtail, 3 Grey Partridge in potato field bordering the reserve & a peculiar looking Carrion Crow with pied upper wings.
No pics as I got caught in a shower last week & a 'system zoom error' message is all that I'm getting from the camera now.
Does anybody know of a reasonable Panasonic Lumix repair technician in the Wigan & Leigh area?
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Sep 13 1:24 PM, 2021
Little Woolden Moss NR mid-morning highlights today:
3 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Wheatear on fields west of the moss
2 Wheatear on the reserve
1 juvenile Peregrine, chasing anything that moved!
1 Ringed Plover through east, probably disturbed by the Peregrine
1 Greenshank through SW
1 Golden Plover over SW
1 Shoveler
3 Grey Wagtail over SW in singles
82 Meadow Pipits over SW in dribs and drabs over a two hour period
17 Swallow over, with 16 west in one flock and a single over NE
Cutnook Lane to New Moss Wood via Little Woolden Moss 2:35pm - 5pm, highights:
4 kestrels along Cutnook Lane
2 buzzards hunting along Twelve Yards Road, including one using one of the nest boxes as a hunting post
Far more dragonflies than birds on Little Woolden Moss until 250+ black-headed gulls flew in to the Eastern pools; no waders, only pied wagtails on the bunds
6 buzzards worm-catching on New Moss Road
70+ lesser black-backs over Cadishead Moss
dave broome said
Sat Sep 11 10:19 PM, 2021
An adult Yellow-Legged Gull was in the ploughed field to the west of Little Woolden Moss reserve this morning, among 96 Lesser Black-Backed and c350 Black-Headed Gull. I desperately need to re-look at my digiscoping set-up. I have attached a frankly awful record shot, which was from distance to be fair.
1 Common Sandpiper was present on the eastern pools and 3 Ringed Plover flew west
-- Edited by dave broome on Saturday 11th of September 2021 11:00:07 PM
Went to Little Woolden Moss NR 2-4pm, unaware of the Phalarope being around
Walk partly spoiled by (a) a shooter blasting away non-stop at pigeons, in the copse just S of the private road. He had a moving decoy, but fortunately didn't seem to hit anything - all legal I think, (b) model planes just W of the NR, (c) inevitable cyclists
Anyway: - many Kestrels - Sparrowhawk - sev Buzzards - Hobby hunting successfully for dragonflies; was attacked by a Kestrel, but the latter thought it best to give up
- heard a wader(s) flying around, thought at the time it was a couple of Golden Plover calling together, but not convinced. Having heard Red-Necked Phalarope recording since, I think that was possible. Couldn't locate it/them. I know they're not that similar, but what I heard was very faint
Whatever it was, it/they flew towards the East end
Steven Nelson said
Sat Sep 11 2:00 PM, 2021
Little Woolden M Unfortunately no sign of the juvenile Red-necked Phalarope at the western pools between 12.00-13.15. Also no further sign back on the eastern pools as I left at 13.30
Other sightings: 1 Common Sandpiper- W pools 1 Peregrine- W pools in hunting mode 1 Hobby- juv hunting dragonflies 1 Marsh Harrier- juv/female- E pools and flew off east 1 Buzzard 2 Kestrel 1 Wheatear- path on western edge 1 Chiffchaff
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Saturday 11th of September 2021 02:00:59 PM
Steven Nelson said
Sat Sep 11 11:56 AM, 2021
Little Woolden Moss NR
Just now 11.50am
1 RED-NECKED PHALAROPE - flew into eastern pools. Stayed for 2 minutes feeding then flew off towards western pools. Calling all the time
Dave Steel said
Sat Sep 11 8:50 AM, 2021
100921 am
Irlam Moss
2 Great Black-Backed Gull
150 Black-Headed Gull
11 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
2 Yellow Wagtail
1 Ringed Plover...Flew Over
1 Whinchat
66 Lapwing
12 Swallow
Chat Moss...sadly another good farmland bird field is going into Turf Production...Peat Extraction by another name this is the third such large and Farmland Bird Haven lost this year
1 juvenile Curlew, flew in from the north and dropped onto the western pools for a short while before heading off SW
1 Hobby through west
2 juvenile Peregrines hunting around the moss and area (possibly three), often just soaring in the air and one of which was persistently mobbed by a Sparrowhawk
Hen Harrier 1 female (record shot)
Peregrine 2
Sparrowhawk 2
Buzzard 9
Golden Plover 8 together over plus another heard earlier
Snipe 3
Whooper Swan 2 over
Water Rail 1 heard
Tree Sparrow 1 over
Swallow 77 over Pink-footed Goose 1376 over
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Wednesday 6th of October 2021 03:39:14 PM
Irlam Moss
1 Stonechat...Male
4 Snipe
17 Linnet
8 Skylark
Chat Moss
38 Greylag Geese
2 Whooper Swan
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
1 Hen Harrier...Ringtail chased west by Carrion Crow...both a blessing and a curse as their alarms prove they are not happy...a none local raptor about...great as this draws my attention BUT they then chase it from further view as yesterday...a case of Thanks but No Thanks...
1 Little Egret...flew West @ 1130
3 Swallow
1 peregrine....Female
1 Peregrine...Male
23 Meadow Pipit
10 Grey Partridge
1 Snipe
5 Whooper Swan...flew East @
1 Ring tail Hen Harrier over me heading high east onto little wooldon moss area about 9.30 this morning .
041021 am
Little Woolden Moss
65 Meadow Pipit
220 Skylark
37 Linnet
1 Hen Harrier...Ringtail chased south by Carrion Crow @0950
2 Lesser Redpoll
1 Grey Wagtail
2 Yellowhammer
1 Swallow
Chat Moss
2 Swallow
1 Stonechat...Male
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
50 Linnet
4 Snipe
1 Chiffchaff.
031021 am
Chat Moss
3 Snipe
21 Meadow Pipit
24 Teal
3 Chiffchaff
3 Shoveler
18 Skylark.
021021 Midday...brief visit
Irlam Moss
62 Lapwing
5 Snipe
28 Meadow Pipit
10 Skylark
90 Goldfinch
300 Starling
5 Yellowhammer.
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR 3:30-5:00 - very windy (which probably kept the small birds down)
1 Peregrine - probably male (but not certain) - it almost looked like it was thinking of hovering by flying into the wind
2 Kestrels
1 (or 2) Marsh Harriers - female or juvenile (definitely not adult male) - might have been same bird but difficult to tell with light in the opposite direction for each sighting
2 Buzzards
10 Teal
1 Whooper Swan - seen flying towards west end, then seen in the west end pools but took off and flew east & out of sight - may have landed somewhere towards the east end
4 Swallows (2 + 2)
In the fields beyond the west end - many, many gulls, mostly black-headed, some herring, 5 or 6 lesser black-backed (they wouldn't keep still)
Near the green buildings on Astley Rd - 2 Swallows, 6 House Martins
-- Edited by Michael Hood on Sunday 3rd of October 2021 06:27:25 PM
011021 am
Irlam Moss
70 Goldfinch
240 Black-Headed Gull
92 Lapwing
8 Cormorant Flying Over @ 0946
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
36 Meadow Pipit
26 Skylark
2 Lesser Redpoll
1 Peregrine...Male
2 Chiffchaff
6 Snipe
300921 am
Barton Moss...the 'Port' Salford Warehouse Plot...once the Greenbelt is ceded to the Mighty Developers...(coming soon within PfE)
2 Swallow
12 Jackdaw
7 Snipe
36 Skylark
48 Meadow pipit
1 Stonechat
8 Mistle Thrush.
290921 am
Chat Moss
8 Lesser Redpoll
58 Skylark
6 Reed Bunting
27 Meadow Pipit
Irlam Moss
23 Skylark
5 Snipe
52 Stock Dove.
280921 am
Cadishead Moss...The field holding these birds was being ploughed...this Farmer until recent years used to plough in the Spring which meant that the Farmland birds had Stubble to feed within during the winter and in Spring the Lapwing (up to 20 pair) had the perfect nesting area...once more I find the continued onslaught upon our Farmland birds by such changes in the land use to Autumn sowing is driving the birds ever closer to extinction...even the ditches which only two weeks ago were full of vegetation for cover and food have been shaved to an inch height...what hope is there in this so called enlightened age of the need for us to change our approach to the planet and its wildlife????...IF this is for the production of 'Cheap' Food then we must remember that NOTHING is cheap for there is ALWAYS a cost somewhere else...and on farmland its the birds...
300 Starling
75 Skylark
18 Pied Wagtail
13 Pheasant
1 Nuthatch
3 Buzzard
1 Merlin
Irlam Moss
7 Snipe
6 Yellowhammer
45 House Sparrow
150 Starling
270921 am
Chat Moss
54 Linnet
4 Great Black-Backed Gull
21 Pied Wagtail
52 Lapwing
2 Chiffchaff
13 Collared Dove
2 Snipe
48 Mallard
4 Lesser Redpoll
6 Shoveler
90 Teal
5 House Martin.
Irlam Moss
16 Pied Wagtail
1 Swallow
Little Woolden Moss NR west this early afternoon:
700 Starling and 1300 Black-headed Gull feeding on western fields
1 Chiffchaff
8 Swallow west
2 House Martin west
250921 midday.....
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR west...after Woolston Eyes...
42 Meadow Pipit
450 Black Headed Gull
1 Chiffchaff
5 Snipe
150 Starling
4 Whooper Swan flying west @ 1250.
Chat Moss & Croxdens peat Pools
40 Goldfinch
6 Reed bunting
c70 Teal
58 mallard
3 Snipe
2 Grey Heron
c300 Woodpigeon (F52)
87 Carrion Crow (F52)
25 Jackdaw (F52)
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
17 Meadow Pipit
5 Skylark
2 Kestrel
5 Buzzard
4 Swallow
2 Chiffchaff
and to underline what Dave Steel says....these mosses are indeed dominated by Woodpigeon and Corvid, with a very serious decline in small farmland birds.
All 4 Whooper Swans still present on eastern pools as I left at 12.30pm.
Other sightings:
18 Swallow
3 House Martin
4 Chiffchaff- 3 giving bursts of song
1 Snipe
1 Lapwing
70+ Meadow Pipit over
4 Skylark
c.120 Black-headed Gull
4 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Buzzard
80+ Goldfinch
Currently 11.10am
4 Whooper Swans on eastern pools
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Saturday 25th of September 2021 11:15:11 AM
240921 am
Chat Moss
5 Chiffchaff...with one on song
2 Yellowhammer
18 Meadow Pipit
35 Teal
7 Snipe
3 Skylark
11 Tree Sparrow
Barton Moss
1 Peregrine...Male
11 Teal
8 Snipe
6 Skylark
18 Reed Bunting
1 Raven
Once more the Moss tells the story of the LACK of Farmland birds with a number of fields holding but Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon...it really is becoming dire away from the 'hot spot' birdwatching sites....and the odd areas where a farmer has a more bird friendly approach to his farming...
230921 am including a Grey Partridge Count on Irlam Moss
3 Grey Partridge...irony is this farmer for second year is not leaving any stubble...and as we know one of the main reasons our Farmland Birds are in decline is....NO STUBBLE!
1 Song Thrush
8 Linnet
22 Lapwing
1 Swallow
2 Yellowhammer
40 Starling
Chat Moss
10 Grey Partridge
6 Linnet
12 Pied Wagtail
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
3 Chiffchaff
1 Marsh Harrier...Juvenile.
22921 am
Chat Moss
36 Linnet
38 Pied Wagtail
1 Sparrowhawk
10 Grey Partridge
5 Swallow
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
5 Snipe
18 Meadow Pipit
1 Marsh Harrier...female
Little Woolden Moss
120 Skylark
28 Jackdaw
38 Mistle Thrush
3 Golden Plover.
-- Edited by Dave Steel on Thursday 23rd of September 2021 08:32:44 AM
210921 am
Irlam Moss
27 Meadow Pipit
3 Swallow
2 Chiffchaff
Chat Moss
2 Goldcrest
1 Sparrowhawk male chasing Pied Wagtails
3 Chiffchaff
3 Snipe
1 Kingfisher
12 House Martin
23 Swallow
1 Snipe
57 Meadow Pipit
18 Linnet
1 Wheatear
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR...a brief check east
3 Snipe....
little else noted due to a Big Game Hunter on the Farmland to north of the reserve taking pots shots at any passing Woodpigeon...it seems as if a new regime of more regular gun blasters have taken over for in the past the shooting has been mainly confined to harvest time...all the cereal crops alread
200921 am
Irlam Moss
4 Yellowhammer
80 Starling
5 Snipe
8 Skylark
Cadishead Moss
7 Grey Partridge
3 Snipe
12 Stock Dove
45 Skylark
4 Swallow
Chat Moss
21 Swallow
22 Meadow Pipit
26 Pied Wagtail
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
6 Swallow
3 Raven
1 Sparrowhawk...Female
60 Teal
1 Marsh Harrier...Juvenile.
180921 midday LWM LWT NR west
33 Pied Wagtail
7 Linnet
2 Peregrine
5 Buzzard
2 Wheatear
1 Raven
1 Marsh Harrier...juvenile.
190921 am
Chat Moss
1 Hobby being chased by Carrion Crows...the Hobby eventually moved South
6 Snipe
2 Chiffchaff
32 Teal
3 Swallow
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR East
23 Meadow Pipit
3 Chiffchaff
7 Snipe
1 Ringed Plover flew over @ 1158
2 Raven
8 Swallow
1 Peregrine
30 Teal.
Irlam Moss
10 Swallow above Astley Road
1 Kestrel
11 Mistle Thrush in the newly ploughed Field 17
Little woolden Moss LWTNR & surrounding farmland circular walk
2 Heron
1 Kestrel
70 Teal landed on Middle & West Pools
7 Snipe
110 Black Headed Gull
17 Meadow Pipit
7 Pied Wagtail
1 Wheatear West Pool
2 Chiffchaff
10 Buzzard
c90 Carrion Crow
c800 Woodpigeon
180921 midday west
33 Pied Wagtail
7 Linnet
2 Peregrine
5 Buzzard
2 Wheatear
1 Raven
1 Marsh Harrier...juvenile.
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR East
1 female Peregrine
1 juvenile Kestrel
3 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Warbler
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Pied Wagtail
1 White Wagtail
5 Linnet
15 Meadow Pipit
5 Buzzard
.....and a catch up with Steven Nelson
170921 am...with one of my old WEA Classes
Little Woolden Moss
14 Meadow Pipit
Cadishead Moss
1 Grey wagtail
7 Pied wagtail
16 Swallow
1 Sparrowhawk...Male
3 Chiffchaff
220 Starling.
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
1 Wheatear
18 Swallow
110 teal
The only birds seen on any of the pools were 8 Mallard. With not even a single Pied Wagtail being seen around any wet areas of the moss.
Elsewhere on the reserve were 2 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels (A male was seen to take a dragonfly, then eat it whilst resting on the ground) and
1 Sparrowhawk.
Amongst a roving flock of Long tailed and Blue Tits were around 3 Chiffchaffs and a stunning bright lemon coloured Willow Warbler.
160921 am
Irlam Moss
4 Chiffchaff
5 Reed Bunting
4 Yellowhammer
8 Snipe
9 Rook
1 Sparrowhawk male scattering a flock of Goldfinch
2 Grey Partridge
16 Skylark
15 Meadow Pipit
Chat Moss
42 Swallow moving south
29 Meadow Pipit moving south
19 Teal
5 Chiffchaff
20 House Martin attacking a Buzzard as they flew south very high
1 Sand Martin resting on wires
130 Swallow resting on wires
50 House Martin resting on wires
150921 am
Chat Moss
23 Swallow
14 House Martin
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
1 Peregrine
1 Hobby
2 Ringed Plover
46 Meadow Pipit
11 Swallow.
1 Wheatear.
Little Woolden Moss West early afternoon.
2 Hobby (1 immature 1 juvenile)
1 juvenile female Peregrine
7 Buzzard
11 Swallow
5 Reed Bunting
10 Meadow Pipit
1 juvenile Kestrel
-- Edited by Dave Stewart on Thursday 16th of September 2021 03:51:54 PM
150921 am
Chat Moss
23 Swallow
14 House Martin
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
1 Peregrine
1 Hobby
2 Ringed Plover
46 Meadow Pipit
11 Swallow.
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Tuesday 14th of September 2021 06:54:57 AM
Afternoon walk from Moss Lane, Glazebury to Little Woolden Moss N R & back.
Moss Side Farm area - C.30 juvenile Greenfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker on top of a pine tree & C. 10 Mistle Thrush,
Tree Sparrow, Swallow & House Martin.
On the nature reserve Kestrel, Hobby, Female Marsh Harrier, Buzzard being mobbed by 6 Carrion Crow, Linnet, Goldfinch,
Willow Warbler, Long-Tailed Tit, Pied Wagtail, 3 Grey Partridge in potato field bordering the reserve & a peculiar looking Carrion Crow with pied upper wings.
No pics as I got caught in a shower last week & a 'system zoom error' message is all that I'm getting from the camera now.
Does anybody know of a reasonable Panasonic Lumix repair technician in the Wigan & Leigh area?
Little Woolden Moss NR mid-morning highlights today:
3 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Wheatear on fields west of the moss
2 Wheatear on the reserve
1 juvenile Peregrine, chasing anything that moved!
1 Ringed Plover through east, probably disturbed by the Peregrine
1 Greenshank through SW
1 Golden Plover over SW
1 Shoveler
3 Grey Wagtail over SW in singles
82 Meadow Pipits over SW in dribs and drabs over a two hour period
17 Swallow over, with 16 west in one flock and a single over NE
7 Siskin
c100+ Teal
4 Snipe
1 Willow Tit
3 Chiffchaff- including 1 singing
30+ Meadow Pipit
3 Skylark
2 Jay
2 Swallow
Tawny Owl 1
Marsh Harrier 1 female
Greenshank 1 heard only
Snipe 6
Willow Tit 1
Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 3
Chiffchaff 7
110921 am
Irlam Moss Grey Partridge Survey
3 Swallow
110 Starling
15 Grey Partridge
1 Whitethroat
6 Yellowhammer
5 Snipe
Cadishead Moss
2 Grey Partridge
4 Yellowhammer
9 Skylark.
Cutnook Lane to New Moss Wood via Little Woolden Moss 2:35pm - 5pm, highights:
-- Edited by dave broome on Saturday 11th of September 2021 11:00:07 PM
Went to Little Woolden Moss NR 2-4pm, unaware of the Phalarope being around
Walk partly spoiled by (a) a shooter blasting away non-stop at pigeons, in the copse just S of the private road. He had a moving decoy, but fortunately didn't seem to hit anything - all legal I think, (b) model planes just W of the NR, (c) inevitable cyclists
Anyway:
- many Kestrels
- Sparrowhawk
- sev Buzzards
- Hobby hunting successfully for dragonflies; was attacked by a Kestrel, but the latter thought it best to give up
- heard a wader(s) flying around, thought at the time it was a couple of Golden Plover calling together, but not convinced. Having heard Red-Necked Phalarope recording since, I think that was possible. Couldn't locate it/them. I know they're not that similar, but what I heard was very faint
Whatever it was, it/they flew towards the East end
Unfortunately no sign of the juvenile Red-necked Phalarope at the western pools between 12.00-13.15. Also no further sign back on the eastern pools as I left at 13.30
Other sightings:
1 Common Sandpiper- W pools
1 Peregrine- W pools in hunting mode
1 Hobby- juv hunting dragonflies
1 Marsh Harrier- juv/female- E pools and flew off east
1 Buzzard
2 Kestrel
1 Wheatear- path on western edge
1 Chiffchaff
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Saturday 11th of September 2021 02:00:59 PM
Just now 11.50am
1 RED-NECKED PHALAROPE - flew into eastern pools. Stayed for 2 minutes feeding then flew off towards western pools. Calling all the time
100921 am
Irlam Moss
2 Great Black-Backed Gull
150 Black-Headed Gull
11 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
2 Yellow Wagtail
1 Ringed Plover...Flew Over
1 Whinchat
66 Lapwing
12 Swallow
Chat Moss...sadly another good farmland bird field is going into Turf Production...Peat Extraction by another name this is the third such large and Farmland Bird Haven lost this year
2 Whitethroat
18 Snipe
2 Yellow Wagtail
25 Meadow Pipit
11 Reed Bunting
17 Skylark
55 Swallow
14 House Martin
1 Peregrine
11 Cormorant Flying West in a flock
Little Woolden Moss LWT NR Brief Visit East
1 Hobby
1 Peregrine
2 Buzzard
6 Swallow
Early afternoon today on Little Woolden Moss NR:
3 juvenile Little Ringed Plover
1 juvenile Ringed Plover
1 juvenile Curlew, flew in from the north and dropped onto the western pools for a short while before heading off SW
1 Hobby through west
2 juvenile Peregrines hunting around the moss and area (possibly three), often just soaring in the air and one of which was persistently mobbed by a Sparrowhawk
2 Yellow Wagtail
2 Shoveler
090921 am
Irlam Moss
3 Yellowhammer
18 Collared Dove
2 Chiffchaff
Chat Moss
1 Snipe
140 Teal
1 Hobby taking Dragonfly
1 Whitethroat
Little Woolden Moss LWT Nature Reserve whilst doing two Carbon Landscape Drgonfly Surveys
4 Wheatear
1 Yellow Wagtail...male
26 Teal
1 Whitethroat
Ruff juv flew east at 11.42
Ringed Plover 3 over north calling
Little Ringed Plover 3 juv
Snipe 4
Hobby 1
Peregrine 1
Shoveler 1
Teal c90
Skylark 6
Yellow Wagtail 1